Cherington: Bucs excited to add Heaney to enviably deep rotation

BRADENTON, Fla. ¨C It turns out that the third time was the charm for the Pirates and Andrew Heaney.

The Pirates tried to sign the veteran left-hander his last two passes through free agency. But this week, they were able to come to terms on a one-year, $5.25 million contract for 2025.

¡°Always liked the fit,¡± general manager Ben Cherington said. ¡°His specific pitch repertoire, style, obviously we talked about the left-handed thing at PNC [Park]. First and foremost, we've always liked him, like him as a pitcher, particularly like the fit with our team at PNC.

¡°After we traded [Luis] Ortiz [this offseason], we were hoping to try to replenish that strength in the rotation somehow. [We] had worked on a handful of different things over the course of an offseason. Kind of had our eye on that. Talked to a small handful of starting pitcher free agents and some trade stuff. Fortunately, things lined up with Andrew, and we're excited about it."

Heaney adds some stability to the rotation as an 11-year veteran who tossed 160 innings for the Rangers last year.

The front of the Pirates¡¯ rotation is the calling card of this team, headed by Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. Heaney will join them, but that fifth spot is up for grabs, and it could be filled by non-traditional candidates. We¡¯ve seen two already through the first two games of Spring Training: Carmen Mlodzinski and Caleb Ferguson.

Ferguson tossed two scoreless innings in Sunday¡¯s 5-1 win over the Twins at LECOM Park, the day after Mlodzinski threw two innings as the Grapefruit League season-opening starter. Both were starters coming up through the Minor Leagues, but they made the transition to relief early in their Major League careers.

Each has a deep arsenal of pitches ¨C Ferguson works with four pitches, Mlodzinski with five ¨C that could theoretically play out of the rotation.

¡°I've always wanted to be a starter, but I've also always wanted to be in the big leagues,¡± Ferguson said. ¡°I wanted to do whatever the team needs and to pitch in the big leagues. Wherever it falls, it falls, but ultimately being a starter is always something I've wanted. Being in the big leagues is the most important part of it. We'll see how it plays out."

For Mlodzinski, this opportunity has been on his mind since he was moved to the bullpen, and something that he brought up to the Pirates in available forums, like exit meetings. The plan is to build him up to three-inning outings this spring and then give him a chance to compete.

¡°I think there's definitely some mental things you have to adjust,¡± Mlodzinski said about the difference between starting and relieving. ¡°What they are, I think that Spring Training's kind of going to reveal to me. ¡­ I think taking those adjustments and taking that mentality of getting one guy out at a time is something that helped me in the bullpen and is going to help me for sure as a starter."

¡°We see examples all over the game of guys doing that and going back to the rotation at some point in the future,¡± Cherington said. ¡°So at the end of the season, we had a chance to sit down again and agreed that it made sense for [Mlodzinski] to put himself in a position this offseason, give himself a chance to be a starter.¡±

Of course, the Pirates could go the traditional route with Bailey Falter as the fifth starter, or with Johan Oviedo, whenever he completes these final steps back from Tommy John surgery. Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington and Braxton Ashcraft ¨C three of Pittsburgh¡¯s top five prospects, per MLB Pipeline ¨C are also in Major League camp after having success with Triple-A Indianapolis last year.

The Pirates have other internal options. Their success last year with Ortiz ¨C starting him out of the bullpen and then transitioning him into the rotation full time ¨C also indicates that any Opening Day decision does not mean a role is set in stone for the entire season.

Of course, the old adage is that you can never have enough pitching. That¡¯s why the Pirates signed Heaney, after all.

¡°In terms of the Spring Training plans, it's not going to change anything in terms of the guys that are going to get stretched out,¡± Cherington said. ¡°We all know things can happen. Knock on wood, we hope not too much happens. We'll hope for boring but be prepared for the alternative. It's good to have that strength and depth.¡±